Effects of thromboxane A2 analogue on vascular resistance distribution and permeability in isolated blood-perfused dog lungs.

This study was designed to determine the effects of thromboxane A2 (TxA2) on the distribution of vascular resistance, lung weight, and microvascular permeability in isolated dog lungs perfused at a constant pressure with autologous blood. The stable TxA2 analogue (STA2; 30 micrograms, n = 5) caused an increase in pulmonary capillary pressure (Pc) assessed as double-occlusion pressure to 14.0 +/- 0.4 mmHg from the baseline of 7.9 +/- 0.3 mmHg with progressive lung weight gain. Pulmonary vascular resistance increased threefold exclusively due to pulmonary venoconstriction. Pulmonary venoconstriction was confirmed in lungs perfused in a reverse direction from the pulmonary vein to the artery (n = 5), as evidenced by marked precapillary vasoconstriction and a sustained lung weight loss. Furthermore, in lungs perfused at a constant blood flow (n = 5), STA2 also caused selective pulmonary venoconstriction. Vascular permeability measured by the capillary filtration coefficient and the isogravimetric Pc at 30 and 60 min after STA2 infusion did not change significantly from baseline in any lungs studied. Moreover, elevation of Pc by raising the venous reservoir of the intact lobes (n = 5) to the same level as the STA2 lungs caused a greater or similar weight gain compared with the STA2 lungs. Thus, we conclude that TxA2 constricts selectively the pulmonary vein resulting in an increase in Pc and lung weight gain without significant changes in vascular permeability in isolated blood-perfused dog lungs.